****, that's what. I've just had enough of fights like Chavez-Martinez... or even Donaire-Nishioka. Or the dozens of other fights over the last 30 years that I could mention that were entirely catch-weights. Is there any proof whatsoever that this has protected boxers or that a one week before plus a day of weigh-in could not solve the same issues?
Even more **** taking with weight cutting and therefore, IMO, less depth in weightclasses and less attention being given to skills. What was the problem with Donaire-Nishioka? I think I read something a while back that said deaths hadn't drastically dropped off since the change.
It's brought us the ability to think we're watching a middleweight when we're actually watching a cruiserweight.
as far as I know there was a spinx fight called off/delayed because of weight and this was the main reason for the rule change deaths in boxing are almost always someone's fault, deaths as a result of dehydration were caused by fighters/managers agreeing to make unrealistic weights. day before weighins was imo a poor response that protects the side that has put itself in the wrong, more than this it has become a disadvantage to an opposition fighter at his natural weight imo if they had wanted to protect boxers then a 'weight passport' would have been the way to go(i.e a fighter is weighed regularly and not allowed to fight below a % of the average) the same applies to many of the deaths caused by previous injury, boxing didn't cause these deaths, participating in boxing while physically unfit does, Mclellan and Paret, along with their teams both knew of the problems but fought anyway. edit: a less emotive example is if you know your brakes are shot, it is not the roads fault when you crash
Very nice post kingfisher, some decent ideas. For me, it clouds a lot of people's judgement. Would all these two and three weight World champions gain those accolades of they didn't have over 30 HOURS to rehydrate? You'd have to take it on a case by case basis.
Brandon Rios wouldn't have wasted a year cutting down for two pretty meaningless fights he looked like **** in. He rehydrated less than 10lbs on Saturday according to HBO oh, and what a surprise, he outlawed a bigger guy and looks as good as he ever has done. Antonio Margarito would've been a journeyman in most era's. When he fought someone his own size (Santos) he struggled to implement his size and strength in the fight. Squeezes himself down and rehydrates? He's a destroyer of men. G-Man probably would've avoided injury, though that's pure speculation. So many factors make it a **** idea IMO. And as Sal' said, Gamache probably would've never fought a guy so much bigger than him and been hurt without 24 hour (that's bull**** in itself) weigh in's. Manny Pacquiao would NEVER NEVER have even made flyweight on the day. Sasakul looks like a midget compared to him and Manny gets to call himself the lineal flyweight champion. Yuck. I will add there have always been guys that have tried to trim down to their lowest possible weight for an advantage. Nowadays, this is the norm and these super 8-12 week training camps are mainly based around cutting weight.
